Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Eric D. Svendsen, "Who Is My Mother?" (PhD Thesis version) online

I just found out the PhD thesis by Eric Svendsen, the edited version of which would be published in 2001:

 

Who Is My Mother? The Role and Status of the Mother of Jesus in the New Testament and in Roman Catholicism

 

Overall, the thesis (and the later book published by Calvary Press) is a very good critique of Roman Catholic Mariology in light of Biblical exegesis. However, do note that Svendsen puts a little too much weight into the “until” (εως ου) argument in Matt 1:25 (contra Svendsen, there are some instances where the main clause continues in contemporary literature), and if Svendsen ever does a revised edition of the book, I would love if he were to interact more with the ”Epiphanian” view of the brothers/sisters of Jesus (i.e., the view that the brothers/sisters were children previous marriage of Joseph’s).


For those who want the best Roman Catholic defense of Mary from the Bible, my suggestion would be John McHugh, The Mother of Jesus in the New Testament (1975).

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